Students are eligible for transportation service if their residence is 1.5 miles or farther from the school. Elementary students should not walk further than 0.5 mile to reach a bus stop and secondary students should not walk further than one mile.

Students are assigned to stops and should be at the location ten minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. High school buses will begin their routes 40 minutes prior to the start of school; junior high buses will begin 35 minutes prior to the start of school; schools with starting times at 8:25 a.m. will start 35 minutes prior to school; and buses for schools with 9:05 a.m. starts will begin 25 minutes prior to the start of school.

While departing the bus, students should pay close attention to the driver to ensure they exit in a safe manner. It is important that families utilize the stops assigned to their children, as drivers use the passenger lists for safety and security measures to make sure they are transporting only students eligible to ride the bus.

If you have questions regarding this year’s stops or routes, you may use this form to share your concerns or make a request. You may also e-mail transportation at transportation@uticak12.org or call (586) 797-7100.

Below are common questions or concerns that families often have regarding the stops:

I want to request the location of my child’s bus stop based on its distance from our house.

Transportation is a service provided by Utica Community Schools. The criteria used to determine bus stop location is applied consistently across the district for students who are eligible for busing.

The transportation department is responsible for providing an effective and efficient bus stop network that will ensure student arrival prior to the start of the school day. We ask that parents support this effort by ensuring students are at the stops in a timely manner.

Some common reasons for requesting changes that we often receive include: “I can’t see the bus stop from my house,” “It’s too far for my student to walk” or “My subdivision does not have sidewalks and I’m concerned about how fast cars go on my street” or “The bus goes right in front of my house.”

The district works closely with municipal law enforcement agencies regarding traffic and other safety concerns. Requests similar to those referenced above will be carefully considered but may not result in a location change.

Why are secondary and elementary stops different in my neighborhood?

Stops are established based on home locations of students using bus service. The home patterns may be different for elementary, junior high school and high school students. Stop locations are developed based on the student addresses.

Why do bus stop locations change?

Ridership, distances between stops, and the time it takes the bus to pick up students and get to the schools are some of the elements considered in this process.

Buses have fifty continuous minutes or less to pick up students and be at the school. To comply with legal light activation laws, bus stops may not be closer than two hundred feet from each other on a single run.

We appreciate the continued support of our parents in ensuring efficient and effective bus service in our community. Parents should report concerns to the Transportation Office at (586) 797-7100. In some instances the school principal may also be able to provide assistance.